ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Residual stress from material processing and fabrication can severely degrade structural performance over a ship's lifecycle. However, the evolution of residual stress distribution throughout the shipbuilding process is not well understood. Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) techniques enable linking disparate software codes across multiple length scales, thereby facilitating simulation of the entire material lifecycle – from material processing to fabrication to structural performance. This project is pairing computational simulation with physical measurement for verification and validation (V&V) of the linked finite-element analysis (FEA) tools. The linked FEA tools enable simulation of representative marine structures. Concurrently, the residual stress in an analogous physical structure will be measured through each step of the fabrication process: incoming plate, edge-prep, fit-up, welded assembly, and post-fatigue testing. The effort will follow specific areas within the component to understand the effects of fabrication and testing on residual stress magnitude and distribution. This fabrication-cycle material information is essential to understand the initial state of marine structures as the industry moves towards a digital twin prototype standard. This project seeks to establish the first linkage of welded fabrication and structural performance.
